Lehr Propane Outboard (Video)

A demonstration of the Lehr outboard motor at the Miami Boat Show ...read more

Video Transcript

[Speaker1] But also we are talking about the gizmos and gadgets today. I have Bernardo Hertzer here. Fuel is a big issue with boaters. I know many are concerned with the prices going up. Kind of walk me through, this is an alternative, this actually uses propane right.

[Bernardo] That’s correct, this is one of the canisters you can use. Propane is used for barbecues and small grills. It’s also used to run internal combustion engines. Look around your buses are running on it, taxis. You can screw in a 16 ounce propane can here, clip it on or you can run it from a bigger tank like your barbecue tank or this composite that’s see-through. Right you connect it up, you just turn on the throttle, pull it and it starts that easy. It’s so clean we can run it indoors.

[speaker1] And you’re not getting any water on the red carpet which was recently vacuumed for this morning, so good job there. I know this little one does an hour.

[Bernardo] This little one will run about an hour on this. And this about 8 to 10 hours on this one. Of course they are different sized tanks. The beautiful thing about propane it’s not only an environmentally friendly gas but it also is produced in the United States, so it reduces our dependency on foreign oil. And it cost about half of what gasoline does, and by running propane you’re not having a choke for primer. There is no gumming of the carburetors, no ethanol issues. And you can store the unit winterizing it. You remove the tank and when you go to start it it’s going to run like the day you bought it.

[speaker1] Bernardo thank you so much for joining us in live. I know green energy is big now. I know this thing is going to be a hot sell here at the boat show. Again the boat show just opened at 10 AM today. It would be opened today and tomorrow. So Constance and Nicky you have just two days to check the stuff out. read less

Lehr Outboard Introduction (Video)

Learn more about the Lehr Propane Outboard Motor, presented by ShipShape TV. ...read more

Video Transcript

[Host] New established player out on the market in the way of outboard engine. And these are using fuel, propane fuel and I actually have the inventor, CEO, founder of Lehr with us today. This is Captain Bernardo Herzer. Hello Bernardo thank you for coming down here.

[Bernardo] I am so excited to be on Ship Shape TV. Thank you for having me.

[Host] Bernardo is actually one with popular mechanics. His technology. He is one with popular science. There was a big new EPA award, what was that?

[Bernardo] That was the EPA Clean Air Excellence award and we were awarded that for helping to improve the nation’s air quality through our technology.

[Host] He has invented, built, manufactured from big companies like craftsmen. You have co-branded okay it’s been Craftsman powered by Lehr.

[Bernardo] You are correct.

[Host] This guy comes with a lot of juice. You have been working on these outboard engines for about five years. These engines are these 2-strokes or are these 4-strokes.

[Bernardo] No these are 4-stroke engines and have valves and oil in the crank just like the car you drive today. So these are very, very tested, very durable engines. I mean we’ve been working on this project for a very long time. We have taken the best designs; the best parts of the engine designed it to the utmost endurance.

[Host] What are the different horsepower options that we have with these two engines right here? I need an engine for this Walker Bay.

[Bernardo] This is a 2.5 hp outboard motor.

[Host] That might be a little too small for what I’m going for.

[Bernardo) Well let me give you the good news. I have got a 5 hp engine here.

[Host] 5 horsepower okay.

[Bernardo] And I also want to make it clear that when you run 5hp on propane. It is 5hp it doesn’t matter the fuel. It’s 5hp whether you’re running methane, alcohol, propane, diesel, gasoline, 5hp is 5hp.

[Host] Show us where the fuel actually gets put into the motor.

[Bernardo] Well this is one of the patented systems of the Lehr propane outboards and it can use one of these disposable tanks that you might have in your garage.

[Host] This is a 1lb tank and a lot of boaters may be familiar with these. They might have some type of a grill on board where you are currently storing these.

[Bernardo] Correct and if you’re just going to use the engine for a little while an hour or less you can use one of these. Now if you plan on spending a day extended time out at of the water. You can go to the front, remove the plug, use the hose, and connect your barbecue tank or a composite tank that won’t rust like this one here.

[Host] Okay this is made from fiberglass. This is a composite material and saltwater. You know somebody might consider that.

[Bernardo] Correct.

[Host] What’s the problem with gasoline? Where does that come from? What region of the world does that come from?

[Bernardo] Well the majority, the biggest producers of oil today are from the Middle East. And the United States today we are an exporter of propane and natural gas. I mean we’ve got an abundance of it. It’s funny enough we are importing foreign oil to run certain things like internal combustion and yet we’re exporting things like propane.

[Bernardo] Well they are both a combustible fuel. And the reality of it is though, you wouldn’t use gasoline to power or heat your home your home or to cook on. In most applications today, we’re screwing in a bottle of propane, turning on the flame and reaching over and lighting it. Something you would never do with gasoline correct.

[Host] In the industry is anybody using propane?

[Bernardo] Unbelievably it’s the third-largest used fuel in the world for internal combustion engines. In Europe things like auto gas a huge percentage of cars run on it. In the United States here it’s coming. It’s getting more and more. In the consumer side when it comes to commercials look around, the buses are running on it, the taxes are running on it. Maybe even your garbage truck is running on it today.

[Host] I don’t want to out date myself but if you take a look at my son Hayden okay 18 years old. When I was his age, I was actually running a tow motor that was powered by propane. It’s been around for a long time.

[Bernardo] It’s a proven technology and today with the amounts of propane and natural gas that are available were going into a gaseous fuel economy.

[Host] How much is gasoline per gallon versus propane per gallon. Does one cost more than the other?

[Bernardo] If you buy propane in bulk and fill it in your last tank. You can get it under or approximately $2 range. Gasoline is more expensive.

[Host] It might be twice that expensive. So actually what you have done, you might have just made boating affordable again for somebody.

[Bernardo] It’s not only affordable because of the cost of the fuel. You’re going to have less repairs, less gumming of the carburetors, less ethanol issues, less water in the fuel.

[Host] What about long-term winter storage?

[Bernardo] There is no winterizing with propane. There are no issues with that.

[Host] What about environmentally, because you have won awards in this area?

[Bernardo] Correct. There is no mercury going in the water, there is no ozone depleting potential, you reduce your carbon by 96%.

[Host] How much is that engine versus a gasoline similar 5hp motor price, apples to apples what’s it going to run me?

[Bernardo] The same, very, very, very close in price point. We want the consumer to be the judge of this great product.